Researchers at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) announced that analogues of two drugs for Gaucher’s disease are effective against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19).
This drug cocktail may also be effective in the case of future viral outbreaks, according to the IIBR, a governmental research institute that normally works on projects for the Ministry of Defense.
As part of its project to identify antiviral drugs and a vaccine for Covid-19, IIBR scientists tested an analogue of the FDA-approved Cerdelga and an analogue of a second drug in advanced stages of the approval process.
The IIBR study on cell cultures demonstrated that antiviral treatment using both drugs led to a significant reduction in the replication capacity of the coronavirus and to the destruction of the infected cell. This, in turn, prevents further cell damage following infection with SARS-CoV-2.
The two drugs are currently being tested for their effectiveness in treating animals infected with the coronavirus.
The mixture proved effective against several strains of viruses, including those that cause influenza and West Nile fever. This indicates their potential in treating future outbreaks of new viruses once they are clinically approved. Using existing, approved drugs may be an effective short-term solution because of the lengthy research and approval processes for new drugs.
Click here to read a full article on the IIBR study.
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